Very Special and Always Smile were placed at G1 level for the first time when they finished second and third respectively in the Falmouth Stakes on day two of Newmarket's July Festival, Friday, July 8.
Very Special and Always Smile were both placed at G1 level for the first time when they finished second and third respectively in the Tattersalls 250th Year Falmouth Stakes on day two of Newmarket's July Festival, Friday, July 8.
Godolphin's other runner, Usherette (Andre Fabre/Mickael Barzalona), failed to mount a challenge on the good to firm ground and came home sixth of the seven runners in the mile highlight.
Very Special (Saeed bin Suroor/James McDonald), a dual G2 winner on turf at Meydan, UAE, earlier this year, broke smartly and soon led at a good pace.
The four-year-old Lope De Vega filly was headed by Irish Rookie approaching the final quarter-mile and relegated to third as Alice Springs passed both fillies over a furlong from home.
Very Special rallied to regain second inside the final furlong and held on bravely by a nose from her stable companion in the closing stages to go down by two and a quarter lengths to Alice Springs, who won in a new course record of 1m 34.42s.
Always Smile (Saeed bin Suroor/James Doyle), who was third behind Usherette in the G2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot, also raced prominently at first before being taken back to settle in fifth after a furlong.
The four-year-old daughter of Cape Cross progressed to fourth at the half-way point and stayed on inside the final furlong to challenge Very Special, just missing out on second.
Saeed bin Suroor said: "To finish second and third in a G1 race is a great result and I am very happy with both Very Special and Always Smile.
"We will look at taking Very Special out to America for the Beverly D Stakes at Arlington (G1, 9.5f, August 13).
"We have no plans for Always Smile, but I am delighted with both of their performances today."
John Ferguson commented: "Usherette had an off-day today and she did the same in the Prix Rothschild last year. We will wait and see how she comes out of this race before considering our options."
